Los Angeles, California: cult leader Charles Manson is convicted, along with followers Susan Atkins, Leslie Van Houten, and Patricia Krenwinkle, of the brutal 1969 murders of actress Sharon Tate and six others.

In 1967, Manson established a cult based on his concept of "Helter Skelter" an apocalyptic philosophy predicting an imminent race war in America which would produce five ruling angels: Himself as the Jesus Christ figure and the four Beatles. Manson managed to convince his followers that they should murder celebrities with the aim of attracting interest to the cult. On August 7, 1969 they killed Sharon Tate (heavily pregnant), wife of Roman Polanski, a film director, three of her friends and an 18 year old male.

The case went unsolved for over a year until the Manson connection was established. Various members of the cult confessed, and Manson and five others were charged.

In January 1972, Manson and three others were found guilty, and on March 29 all four were sentenced to death. In 1972, the California Supreme Court abolished the death penalty in California, and Manson and his followers' death sentences were reduced to life imprisonment.